Hear text read aloud with Narrator

Narrator reads text on your PC screen aloud and describes events, such as notifications or calendar appointments, so you can use your PC without a display.

To start or stop Narrator, press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter. To see all Narrator commands, press Caps Lock + F1 after you open Narrator. If your device has a touchscreen, tap it three times with four fingers.

Note

For detailed info about how to use Narrator, including a complete list of Narrator keyboard commands, see Get started with Narrator.

Use Scan Mode to get going fast

Scan Mode can help you quickly navigate apps and webpages. Press Caps lock + Spacebar to turn it on and off.

When it’s turned on, press the up and down arrow keys to move to the next or previous line of text in an app or webpage and the right and left arrow keys to move to the next or previous character. To activate an item, like a button, press the Spacebar.

You can also navigate by word or paragraph. Press Ctrl + Left arrow and Ctrl + Right arrow to move by word. Press Ctrl + Up arrow and Ctrl + Down arrow to move by paragraph.